--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: If we did not have such a thing as an…" description: "\"If we did not have such a thing as an airplane today, we would probably create an agency the size of NASA to build one.\" — Ross Perot" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/ross-perot-10054_aeroplanes_if-we-did-not-have-such-a-thing-as-an-ai_1921111.jpg" --- # If we did not have such a thing as an airplane today, we… ![“If we did not have such a thing as an airplane today, we would probably create an agency the size of NASA to build one.” quote by Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/ross-perot-10054_aeroplanes_if-we-did-not-have-such-a-thing-as-an-ai_1921111.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/ross-perot-10054_aeroplanes_if-we-did-not-have-such-a-thing-as-an-ai_1921111.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/ross-perot-10054_aeroplanes_if-we-did-not-have-such-a-thing-as-an-ai_1921111.jpg) > “If we did not have such a thing as an airplane today, we would probably create an agency the size of NASA to build one.” [Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. If airplanes didn't exist, we'd likely fund a massive government agency to develop them, showing reliance on large institutions for innovation. **In simple terms:** We would create a big agency to build planes. Key Takeaway Consider alternatives to huge bureaucracies. Themes innovation government technology Mood skeptical thoughtful Type political analytical When to use this quote - policy planning - budgeting - technology development - public debate - private sector collaboration Key Concepts public policy institutional capacity risk management Questions to Reflect On - How would a government agency affect innovation speed? - What are the risks of centralizing technology development? A Different Perspective Large agencies can be inefficient and stifle private entrepreneurship. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Aeroplanes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aeroplanes/) [Airplane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/airplane/) [Airplane Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/airplane-today-2084164/) [Aviation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aviation/) [Bureaucracy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/bureaucracy/) [Flight](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/flight/) [Ifs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ifs/) [Nasa Build](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/nasa-build-2951276/) [Size](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/size/) [Size Nasa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/size-nasa-2951275/) [Thing Airplane](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thing-airplane-2084165/) [Today](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/today/) ## Related quotes > [If we did not have such a thing as an airplane today, we would probably create something the size of N.A.S.A. to make one.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/if-we-did-not-have-such-a-thing-as-an-airplane-today-we-would/) [Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) > [I do not expect NASA to go out and build settlements and colonies. I do not expect them to give SpaceX all the money…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-tumlinson/i-do-not-expect-nasa-to-go-out-and-build-settlements-and-colonies-i/) [Rick Tumlinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-tumlinson/) > [As the journalists of the time phased it, this was the epoch of the Leap into the Air. The new atomic aeroplane became indeed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells/as-the-journalists-of-the-time-phased-it-this-was-the-epoch-of-the/) [H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells/) > [You may hear people say that submarines have done away with the battleship, and that aircraft have annulled the mastery of the sea. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buchan/you-may-hear-people-say-that-submarines-have-done-away-with-the/) [John Buchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buchan/) > [I have always loved aeroplanes and spacecraft and the design element.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-muilenburg/i-have-always-loved-aeroplanes-and-spacecraft-and-the-design-element/) [Dennis Muilenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-muilenburg/) > [Hey there's not a cloud in the sky It's as blue as your goodbye And I thought that it would rain On a day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-matthews/hey-there-s-not-a-cloud-in-the-sky-it-s-as-blue-as-your-goodbye-and-i/) [Wendy Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-matthews/) > [As soon as you think of fishing you think of things that don't belong to the modern world. The very idea of sitting all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/as-soon-as-you-think-of-fishing-you-think-of-things-that-don-t-belong/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [I was fascinated by aeroplanes in my childhood. So, it was like I wanted to study science and then become a pilot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayank-agarwal/i-was-fascinated-by-aeroplanes-in-my-childhood-so-it-was-like-i/) [Mayank Agarwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayank-agarwal/) > [Of course, with the increasing number of aeroplanes one gains increased opportunities for shooting down one's enemies, but at the same time, the possibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-von-richthofen/of-course-with-the-increasing-number-of-aeroplanes-one-gains/) [Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) > [The bravest thing I've ever done is fly to New York. I'm simply terrified of aeroplanes - I am the woman you see weeping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-bond/the-bravest-thing-i-ve-ever-done-is-fly-to-new-york-i-m-simply/) [Samantha Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-bond/) > [“You have something against women flying aeroplanes? No, three's a crowd that's all. We'd have all ended up in the drink.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dennington-the-ghost-of-captain-hinchliffe/you-have-something-against-women-flying-aeroplanes-no-three-s-a-crowd/) [David Dennington, The Ghost of Captain Hinchliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dennington-the-ghost-of-captain-hinchliffe/) > [Before I went to the Mess I made the excuse I wanted to get something out of my aeroplane, and climbed into the cockpit;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rumney-samson/before-i-went-to-the-mess-i-made-the-excuse-i-wanted-to-get-something/) [Charles Rumney Samson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rumney-samson/) > [If you want to propose marriage to your girlfriend and you live in England and she is in Sicily, do the decent thing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-herzog/if-you-want-to-propose-marriage-to-your-girlfriend-and-you-live-in/) [Werner Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-herzog/) > [I think there is something exhilarating in flying amongst clouds, and always get a feeling of wanting to pit my aeroplane against them, charge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rumney-samson/i-think-there-is-something-exhilarating-in-flying-amongst-clouds-and/) [Charles Rumney Samson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rumney-samson/) > [You know the best thing about aeroplanes? Apart from the peanuts in little silver bags, I mean. It's looking out of the windows at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-know-the-best-thing-about-aeroplanes-apart-from-the-peanuts-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) ## More by Ross Perot > [We have to succeed, so we will.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/we-have-to-succeed-so-we-will/) [Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) > [Inventories can be managed, but people must be led.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/inventories-can-be-managed-but-people-must-be-led/) [Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) > [Sometimes in human nature causes us to start slacking off at our moment of greatest accomplishment.As you become successful,you will need a great deal…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/sometimes-in-human-nature-causes-us-to-start-slacking-off-at-our/) [Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) > [Big is not beautiful. Big is inefficient.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/big-is-not-beautiful-big-is-inefficient/) [Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) > [This planet is our home. If we destroy the planet, we've destroyed our home, so it is fundamentally important.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/this-planet-is-our-home-if-we-destroy-the-planet-we-ve-destroyed-our/) [Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) > [Anything that is excellent or praiseworthy stands moment by moment on the cutting edge and must be constantly fought for. Well placed priorities always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/anything-that-is-excellent-or-praiseworthy-stands-moment-by-moment-on/) [Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) > [I honestly believe I'd make one of the worst elected officials in the history of this country.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/i-honestly-believe-i-d-make-one-of-the-worst-elected-officials-in-the/) [Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) > [If you can't stand a little sacrifice and you can't stand a trip across the desert with limited water, we're never going to straighten…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/if-you-can-t-stand-a-little-sacrifice-and-you-can-t-stand-a-trip/) [Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) > [If someone as blessed as I am is not willing to clean out the barn, who will?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/if-someone-as-blessed-as-i-am-is-not-willing-to-clean-out-the-barn/) [Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) > [The budget should be balanced, the treasury should be refilled, the public debt should be reduced and the arrogance of public officials should be…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/the-budget-should-be-balanced-the-treasury-should-be-refilled-the/) [Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) > [Punishing honest mistakes stifles creativity. I want people moving and shaking the earth and they're going to make mistakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/punishing-honest-mistakes-stifles-creativity-i-want-people-moving-and/) [Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) > [If you see a snake, just kill it - don't appoint a committee on snakes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/if-you-see-a-snake-just-kill-it-don-t-appoint-a-committee-on-snakes/) [Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) > [The best way to make money is not to have money as your primary goal. I've seen great people come into the business world…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/the-best-way-to-make-money-is-not-to-have-money-as-your-primary-goal/) [Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) > [If we decide to take this level of business creating ability nationwide, we'll all be plucking chickens for a living.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/if-we-decide-to-take-this-level-of-business-creating-ability/) [Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) > [I love this country, I love the principles on which it's founded.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/i-love-this-country-i-love-the-principles-on-which-it-s-founded/) [Ross Perot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) [Explore all 68 Ross Perot quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/) ## More Aeroplanes quotes > [You know the best thing about aeroplanes? Apart from the peanuts in little silver bags, I mean. It's looking out of the windows at…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neil-gaiman/you-know-the-best-thing-about-aeroplanes-apart-from-the-peanuts-in/) [Neil Gaiman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neil-gaiman/) > [I think there is something exhilarating in flying amongst clouds, and always get a feeling of wanting to pit my aeroplane against them, charge…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rumney-samson/i-think-there-is-something-exhilarating-in-flying-amongst-clouds-and/) [Charles Rumney Samson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rumney-samson/) > [If you want to propose marriage to your girlfriend and you live in England and she is in Sicily, do the decent thing and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/werner-herzog/if-you-want-to-propose-marriage-to-your-girlfriend-and-you-live-in/) [Werner Herzog](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/werner-herzog/) > [Before I went to the Mess I made the excuse I wanted to get something out of my aeroplane, and climbed into the cockpit;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-rumney-samson/before-i-went-to-the-mess-i-made-the-excuse-i-wanted-to-get-something/) [Charles Rumney Samson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-rumney-samson/) > [“You have something against women flying aeroplanes? No, three's a crowd that's all. We'd have all ended up in the drink.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-dennington-the-ghost-of-captain-hinchliffe/you-have-something-against-women-flying-aeroplanes-no-three-s-a-crowd/) [David Dennington, The Ghost of Captain Hinchliffe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-dennington-the-ghost-of-captain-hinchliffe/) > [The bravest thing I've ever done is fly to New York. I'm simply terrified of aeroplanes - I am the woman you see weeping…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samantha-bond/the-bravest-thing-i-ve-ever-done-is-fly-to-new-york-i-m-simply/) [Samantha Bond](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samantha-bond/) > [Of course, with the increasing number of aeroplanes one gains increased opportunities for shooting down one's enemies, but at the same time, the possibility…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manfred-von-richthofen/of-course-with-the-increasing-number-of-aeroplanes-one-gains/) [Manfred von Richthofen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manfred-von-richthofen/) > [I was fascinated by aeroplanes in my childhood. So, it was like I wanted to study science and then become a pilot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mayank-agarwal/i-was-fascinated-by-aeroplanes-in-my-childhood-so-it-was-like-i/) [Mayank Agarwal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mayank-agarwal/) > [As soon as you think of fishing you think of things that don't belong to the modern world. The very idea of sitting all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-orwell/as-soon-as-you-think-of-fishing-you-think-of-things-that-don-t-belong/) [George Orwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-orwell/) > [Hey there's not a cloud in the sky It's as blue as your goodbye And I thought that it would rain On a day…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wendy-matthews/hey-there-s-not-a-cloud-in-the-sky-it-s-as-blue-as-your-goodbye-and-i/) [Wendy Matthews](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wendy-matthews/) > [I have always loved aeroplanes and spacecraft and the design element.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dennis-muilenburg/i-have-always-loved-aeroplanes-and-spacecraft-and-the-design-element/) [Dennis Muilenburg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dennis-muilenburg/) > [You may hear people say that submarines have done away with the battleship, and that aircraft have annulled the mastery of the sea. That…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-buchan/you-may-hear-people-say-that-submarines-have-done-away-with-the/) [John Buchan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-buchan/) > [As the journalists of the time phased it, this was the epoch of the Leap into the Air. The new atomic aeroplane became indeed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-g-wells/as-the-journalists-of-the-time-phased-it-this-was-the-epoch-of-the/) [H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-g-wells/) > [The life of an aviator seemed to me ideal. It involved skill. It brought adventure. It made use of the latest developments of science.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lindbergh/the-life-of-an-aviator-seemed-to-me-ideal-it-involved-skill-it/) [Charles Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lindbergh/) > [The aeroplane. . . is not capable of unlimited magnification. It is not likely that it will ever carry more than five or seven…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/waldemar-kaempffert/the-aeroplane-is-not-capable-of-unlimited-magnification-it-is-not/) [Waldemar Kaempffert](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/waldemar-kaempffert/) [Browse all 78 Aeroplanes quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aeroplanes/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "If we did not have such a thing as an airplane today, we would probably create an agency the size of NASA to build one.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Ross Perot" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/if-we-did-not-have-such-a-thing-as-an-airplane-today-we-would-2/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Aeroplanes" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/if-we-did-not-have-such-a-thing-as-an-airplane-today-we-would-2/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/ross-perot-10054_aeroplanes_if-we-did-not-have-such-a-thing-as-an-ai_1921111.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/ross-perot-10054_aeroplanes_if-we-did-not-have-such-a-thing-as-an-ai_1921111.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/a60/ross-perot-10054_aeroplanes_if-we-did-not-have-such-a-thing-as-an-ai_1921111.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“If we did not have such a thing as an airplane today, we would probably create an agency the size of NASA to…” — Ross Perot", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Ross Perot", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ross-perot/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "If we did not have such...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/if-we-did-not-have-such-a-thing-as-an-airplane-today-we-would-2/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ross-perot/if-we-did-not-have-such-a-thing-as-an-airplane-today-we-would-2/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```